Diagnostic system

• US 6,813,733 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kang, Jing, Allison, Glen Michael, Prendergast, Mark Stanley, Thistlethwaite, David Alan, Li, Susan X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): PUENTE, EMERSON C
• Application Number:
  US10/442,278
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/25, 714/38, 714/46, 714/47, 717/124-128
• US Class Current: 714/47.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

Diagnostics may be enabled on a networked computer system by executing, at the networked computer system, a client application that enables connectivity by the networked computer system to a network of other computer systems. A diagnostic application is executed at the networked computer system and independently of the client application. The diagnostic application is configured to monitor the operational status of the client application and to track client status information related to the monitored operational status of the client application. Access to the client status information is enabled when performing diagnostics on the client application or the networked computer system.

Claims

1. A method for enabling diagnostics on a networked computer system, the method comprising:

executing, at the networked computer system, a client application that enables connectivity by the networked computer system to a network of other computer systems;

executing, at the networked computer system, a performance monitoring application configured to monitor operational performance related to the connectivity enabled by the client application and to track client status information related to the monitored operational performance, the performance monitoring application being executed independently of the client application; and

enabling access to the client status information when performing diagnostics on the client application or the networked computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance monitoring application comprises an application that executes independently of the client application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein performing diagnostics comprises providing customer service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the operational performance comprises monitoring the operational performance by a persistently running performance monitoring application.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling access comprises enabling electronic access by a host system.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein enabling electronic access by the host system comprises automatically providing the client status information to the host system in response to an action by a subscriber to enable electronic access.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the client status information comprises information relating to one or more abnormal events.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the client status information comprises one or more of a list of recent error messages relating to the client application, a list of installed updates relating to the client application, session information relating to the client application, a number of application launches of the client application, a number of logged on sessions of the client application, a number of tray launches of the client application, a number of exits from the client application, and a percentage of abnormally disconnected sessions from the client application.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the client status information comprises information relating to an improper closing of the client application.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the client status information comprises a count of the improper closings.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the client status information comprises information relating to an unintentional closing of the client application.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the client status information comprises a count of the unintentional closings.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance monitoring application is configured to create an output file.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the client status information comprises an indication of a behavior of the client application.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance monitoring application is configured to monitor operational performance related to the connectivity enabled by the client application by monitoring how the client application has performed or operated.

16. A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions for:

executing, at a networked computer system, a client application that enables connectivity by the networked computer system to a network of other computer systems;

executing, at the networked computer system, a performance monitoring application configured to monitor operational performance related to the connectivity enabled by the client application and to track client status information related to the monitored operational performance, the performance monitoring application being executed independently of the client application; and

enabling access to the client status information when performing diagnostics on the client application or the networked computer system.

17. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the performance monitoring application comprises an application that executes independently of the client application.

18. The computer program of claim 16 wherein performing diagnostics comprises providing customer service.

19. The computer program of claim 16 wherein monitoring the operational performance comprises monitoring the operational status by a persistently running diagnostic application.

20. The computer program of claim 16 wherein enabling access comprises enabling electronic access by a host system.

21. The computer program of claim 20 wherein enabling electronic access by the host system comprises automatically providing the client status information to the host system in response to an action by a subscriber to enable electronic access.

22. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the client status information comprises information relating to one or more abnormal events.

23. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the client status information comprises one or more of a list of recent error messages relating to the client application, a list of installed updates relating to the client application, session information relating to the client application, a number of application launches of the client application, a number of logged on sessions of the client application, a number of tray launches of the client application, a number of exits from the client application, and a percentage of abnormally disconnected sessions from the client application.

24. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the client status information comprises information relating to an improper closing of the client application.

25. The computer program of claim 24 wherein the client status information comprises a count of the improper closings.

26. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the client status information comprises information relating to an unintentional closing of the client application.

27. The computer program of claim 26 wherein the client status information comprises a count of the unintentional closings.

28. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the performance monitoring application is configured to create an output file.

29. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the client status information comprises an indication of a behavior of the client application.

30. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the performance monitoring application is configured to monitor operational performance related to the connectivity enabled by the client application by monitoring how the client application has performed or operated.

31. A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

means for executing, at a networked computer system, a client application that enables connectivity by the networked computer system to a network of other computer systems;

means for executing, at the networked computer system, a performance monitoring application configured to monitor operational performance related to the connectivity enabled by the client application and to track client status information related to the monitored operational performance, the performance monitoring application being executed independently of the client application; and

means for enabling access to the client status information when performing diagnostics on the client application or the networked computer system.